The First New Moon of 2022 Serves Up Motivation and Curveballs

After the ball drops, the confetti is swept up, and champagne is stocked away, our thoughts quickly turn to the goals we want to achieve in the new year. And as 2022 gets underway, a new moon in grounded earth sign Capricorn will only serve to amplify — and support — that impulse. Ruled by Saturn, the taskmaster planet, and symbolized by the Sea Goat, Caps are best known for their work ethic and pragmatism, two must-haves when you're striving to reach the peak of any mountain.

This lunar event — occurring literally hours after the start of a new calendar year, on Sunday, January 2 at 1:33 p.m. ET/10:33 a.m. PT — will stir you to get ambitious and industrious while spurring potential eye-opening breakthroughs. (See: The Self-Growth Guide That Has Nothing to Do with Chasing Perfection)

Here are all the details and how you can best navigate January 2022's new moon in Capricorn.

What New Moons Mean

First, a few new moon basics: As the astrological "counterpoint" to full moons, new moons happen when the moon is not illuminated by the sun from our perspective on Earth. Hosted by a deep, dark, blank-slate sky, you might imagine that the new moon is offering up a vision board on which you can scribble your intentions.

New moons traditionally present a chance to get clear on long-term dreams, goals, and big-picture projects. And in order to lock them in, you can practice a ritual like opening up to a therapist or loved one, journaling, lighting a candle, or doing a visualization practice.

Think of it as your monthly — and very rarely, twice monthly — astrological nudge to pinpoint something you want to accomplish, then design your ultimate action plan for getting there. (

New moons also serve as the first page of a whole new chapter in your life that will reach a culmination point when there's a corresponding full moon in the same sign — in this case, on July 13, 2022, when there's a full moon — a super one, at that — in Capricorn. Pro-tip: Write down what you've been reflecting on around the new moon, and then circle back six months down the road when the corresponding full moon is happening. You can note how far you've come and quite possibly notice that you've hit a particular finish line — or mountain peak, if we're sticking with Cap symbolism.

Themes of the January 2022 New Moon In Capricorn

Cardinal earth sign Capricorn, symbolized by the Sea Goat, is ruled by Saturn, the planet of limitations, boundaries, commitment, and discipline. The planet might sound like the Debbie Downer of the zodiac, but it oversees all of the aspects of life we need to grow up, evolve, mature, foster security — and mainly, take care of business.

That said, Saturnian Capricorns are perpetually motivated to achieve. Framing life as an ongoing climb up a series of increasingly steep mountains, they're driven to put their noses to the grindstone, succeed, and earn recognition. While they may have a rep for being workaholics, they're also true-blue, exhibit a fantastic dry sense of humor, and model just how easily you hit even your most ambitious goals if you're willing to put in time, energy, and then some. It's fitting that people born during Capricorn season are so disciplined, hardworking, and practical given all the challenges that arise this time of year — from less sunlight to frigid temperatures.

That said, regardless of its aspects to other planets, Capricorn new moons ask us to be driven in the most down-to-earth way possible, setting intentions that are grounded in reality and can be achieved with step-by-step action plans. They motivate us to take the initiative and vow to work perhaps harder than we ever have to transform our loftiest dreams into something tangible and concrete. They're lunar events brimming with equal parts rationality and ambition. But because the main aspect this year's Cap new moon makes is a harmonious trine to change-bringing Uranus, which oversees rebellion, revolution, and breakthroughs, currently moving through fellow earth sign Taurus, the vibe around this January 2022 new moon will be buzzier and more electric than it would otherwise be. It'll feel like surprise twists, turns, and epiphanies — ideally, positive ones — are just around the corner.

The positive connection between the January 2022 new moon and Uranus makes for more creativity, too. And thanks to the fact that both la luna and the bulls-eye planet are in sensible earth signs, you can easily pair any brilliant, inventive, eye-opening ideas, realizations, and brainstorms with a pragmatic game plan for getting the wheels in motion.

It bears noting that because sweet Venus is still retrograde in Capricorn, slowing down matters related to romance, money, and beauty that might be at the crux of your new moon wishes. Thankfully, just days after the new moon, Venus will conjunct the confident sun, offering a bit more self-assuredness around these subjects. You could feel like any self-reflection around these subjects you've been prioritizing since December 19 is beginning to pay off.

Because Saturn rules this January 2022 new moon, it's also helpful to see what the taskmaster planet is up to on the new moon day, which is continuing to form a fairly close square to Uranus. The aspect was exact on December 25 (the third and final one of 2021), which means it's considered a separating aspect — in other words, the tension it creates is on the way out versus building. But as the new moon spotlights Saturn, in its long-lasting square-off with Uranus, you could gain clarity around this ongoing theme. In what ways will you be better off if you stick to the status quo versus break free? Whichever direction feels right to move in, this new moon could serve as your runway to launch your mission.

Who the Capricorn New Moon Will Affect the Most

If you were born under the sign of the Sea Goat — approximately December 21 to January 19 — or with your personal planets (sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, or Mars) in Capricorn (something you can learn from your natal chart), you'll feel this new moon more than most. More specifically, if you have a personal planet that falls within five degrees of the full moon (12 degrees Capricorn), you'll be especially reflective and fired up to harness its assiduous energy.

Similarly, if you were born in a fellow cardinal sign — Aries (cardinal fire), Cancer (cardinal water), Libra (cardinal air) — you could feel the electrifying, eye-opening, inspiring power of this new moon in your tenth house of career (Aries), seventh house of partnership (Cancer), or fourth house of home life (Libra).

The Game-Changing Takeaway

Every month's new moon stirs us to reflect, get intentional with our energy, and do our best to muster up as much positivity as possible to fuel motivation. When a new moon falls in a practical, gung-ho sign like Capricorn and in the first couple days of the first month of a promising new year, all of that might come a little bit easier (or, TBH, feel tougher, depending on how 2021 treated you). But the game-changer this time around is a sweet trine to shocking Uranus, which can't help but deliver surprises and eye-opening epiphanies galore. If you're feeling stuck, the planet of rebellion could serve to inspire and shake things up — ideally, for the better.

And thanks to the Sea Goat's ruler, Saturn's co-starring role, you'll be motivated to find a way to both strike out on your own and embrace boundaries and structure. It is that delicate balancing act, after all, that might set you up for the most satisfying, successful results.